Migros and Aksa Elektrik to Launch Solar Power Plant

Migros and Aksa Elektrik partner to develop 16 MWp ground-mounted solar power plant. Migros and Aksa Elektrik, according to a joint statement, places sustainability at the centre of all its activities, with Migros ranking among Turkey's top 25 companies on the BIST Sustainability Index. Aksa Solar, one of the Aksa Elektrik Group brands providing clean energy solutions for Turkey's energy needs, is collaborating with Migros. Under the partnership, the two companies are building a solar power plant with approximately 16 MWp installed capacity using the Energy Performance Contract (EPC) business model. The plant in Malatya will be built across 170,000 square metres and consist of approximately 29,000 solar panels, with expected annual production of approximately 27 million kWh. Under the EPC business model, the solar power plant is planned to be installed on a turnkey basis within approximately 6 months, with Aksa Solar assuming responsibility for project investment support and all permitting, design, installation, operation and maintenance processes throughout the project duration. Through the solar power plant, as of the beginning of 2024, the electricity consumption of more than 300 Migros stores across 13 provinces from Çanakkale to Artvin will be fully met by clean energy. The plant will also prevent approximately 12,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to the carbon absorbed by half a million trees. Through the partnership, Migros will achieve energy cost savings in addition to using clean energy. Aksa Solar provides solution partnerships with turnkey projects through solar power plants specially offered to customers seeking to use clean energy and save on energy costs.

'We are advancing steadily towards our carbon net zero target'

Migros Executive Board Member Şevki Tuncer stated that the company ranks among the top 25 firms on the BIST Sustainability Index and is advancing steadily towards its carbon net zero target through renewable energy investments while reducing energy costs. Tuncer noted that in line with Migros' Good Future Plan, the company is setting higher sustainability targets each day and leading the sector, adding: 'The solar power plant project we are implementing with Aksa Solar in Malatya will not only provide an environmentally friendly energy source but will also help us reduce our carbon footprint by effectively managing our energy consumption. With solar panels installed on land unsuitable for agricultural production, we will generate energy while making efficient use of these areas. With the plant coming online in Malatya, as of the beginning of 2024, we will fully meet the electricity consumption of more than 300 Migros stores from Çanakkale to Artvin with clean energy. Through the carbon emissions it prevents, this plant will perform the role of half a million trees.' Tuncer noted that they are taking concrete steps towards the carbon net zero target, stating: 'In accordance with Science Based Targets (SBT) and aligned with a 1.5 degrees Celsius scenario, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions by 42 per cent by 2030. We have already achieved a reduction of nearly 9 per cent in the past 2 years. To reduce our electricity consumption, which directly accounts for half of our carbon footprint, we are investing in energy efficiency. We are achieving energy savings through automation technologies and new generation systems. To obtain the electricity we use from clean energy sources, we have accelerated our renewable energy investments. By year end, we will increase our solar power plants above Distribution Centres to 4. With the solar power plant we will build in Malatya in partnership with Aksa Solar, we are continuing to expand these efforts.'

'We provide alternative energy solutions'

Aksa Elektrik General Manager and Board Member Murat Kirazlı stated that Aksa Solar provides energy solutions from renewable energy sources through turnkey projects. Kirazlı noted: 'In order for our country to reach its 2050 zero carbon target, at Aksa Solar we are continuing all our clean and green energy projects with the aim of increasing renewable energy capacity and contributing to these investments. As a brand serving every field of energy, with climate crisis and emission rates at the forefront of the global agenda, we become a solution partner for companies wanting to use renewable energy sources by using domestic resources.' Kirazlı noted that solar power plant installation and investment costs are more economical compared to other renewable energy sources, which is why they have received significant interest from companies in recent years.

Kirazlı, noting that Aksa operates within a broad scope of renewable energy solutions, stated the following on the matter:

'Within Aksa, by placing people at the centre of our business models and with a sustainable future perspective, we develop different business models according to customer needs and expectations and provide innovative, environmentally responsible and alternative energy solutions. Today, within a broad ecosystem ranging from solar energy systems to electric vehicle charging stations, from energy efficiency projects to reducing carbon footprint, we produce end-to-end solutions for our business partners. We manage our projects with our expert and experienced team and implement turnkey solar energy system installations. I would like to note that the new system to be built with Migros, a pioneer in retail, will be at a level equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 300 Migros stores. In this context, we wish that our project, which aligns with the 'Sustainable Ecosystem' value among Migros' corporate values, will be beneficial for both parties and our country.' Source